Toshiba ships Vogtle 3 condenser

01 December 2011

Japan's Toshiba announced that the manufacture of the condenser for unit 3 of the Vogtle nuclear power plant in the USA has been completed and the component is now being shipped to the plant construction site.

Toshiba said it will be the major component it has shipped for a new generation of US nuclear power plants. The condenser turns the steam used to drive the turbines and generators back into water.

Although the condenser was designed by Toshiba, it was manufactured by South Korean engineering company BHI Co Ltd. The component - weighing some 3300 tonnes - left BHI's plant in Sacheon on 21 November and will begin its journey by sea from the port of Masan to Savannah in Georgia in early December.

Vogtle 3 is an AP1000 unit to be built by Westinghouse for Southern Co's Georgia Power subsidiary. Although site preparation and limited construction on Vogtle 3 and 4 began in 2009, a combined construction and operating license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is required before fully fledged nuclear construction. This is expected before the end of the year.